Court orders do not mention JIT's time frame, says Naqeebullah's lawyer

ISLAMABAD: Faisal Siddiqui, who is the counsel of Naqeebullah’s father, said on Wednesday that the Supreme Court's order regarding the formation joint investigation team (JIT) to probe case did not mention any time frame. 

While speaking to Geo News outside the apex court, he remarked that the "court’s order did not include any mention of time frame for the JIT", adding that maybe the written order will have that information.

The legal counsel also shared former SSP Malir Rao Anwar's counsel had specifically requested to include officers from other institutions in the JIT. However, the request was dismissed by the court.

"That court has ordered that the JIT will only include personnel of Sindh police department," he said. 

“The court has directed the Sindh police to ensure its [JIT’s] security as well as ensure that elders such as Naqeebullah’s father are not threatened directly or indirectly.”

Regarding the case proceedings, Siddiqui said: "for the time being, his [Rao Anwar's] legitimate accounts have been unfrozen and contempt proceedings against him have been dropped.”

Suspended Malir SSP Rao Anwar, wanted in the Naqeebullah Mehsud killing case, was arrested from outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday after he appeared in the apex court.

Anwar, removed from his post, was wanted in the murder case of Mehsud, a 27-year-old native of Waziristan, who, among three others, was killed in a fake police encounter in Karachi on January 13 on Anwar's orders.

Chief Justice Nisar expressed dismay at Anwar's continuous absconding in the case despite repeated summons and safety guarantees by the apex court.

During the hearing, the chief justice also ordered the formation of a JIT headed by Sindh Police’s Additional IG Aftab Pathan and comprising four senior officers of the provincial police to probe the case.